Agenda item

Borderlands City of Culture 2025 – Expression of Interest.  (Report attached)

8.1       Expression of Interest for Borderlands City of Culture 2025

Copies of a report by the SBC Service Director, Customer & Communities, had been circulated.  The report explained that the UK City of Culture was a UK Government programme, administered as a competition by the Department of Digital, Culture, Media, and Sports (DCMS).  The competition had been run every four years and the current one was for the UK City of Culture 2025.  For the first time, the competition was open to areas and places joining together to apply for the title to be awarded to their local area.  There were three stages to the competition with the first one being the submission of an expression of interest with a decision made on a ‘long list’ of six at the end of September 2021.  In late June 2021, South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE) identified the opportunity to submit a South of Scotland expression of interest for the City of Culture 2025 with the deadline for applications being 19 July 2021. Following deliberations it was considered the most effective approach was to submit a bid for the Borderlands area.  This led to an expression of interest being submitted by SOSE on behalf of the five Local Authority areas of Dumfries and Galloway, Scottish Borders, Carlisle City, Cumbria, and Northumberland who make up the Borderlands Partnership.  The bid was aligned to the theme of a Just Transition to Net Zero.  By using the Borderlands region’s heritage, culture and creativity, the bid aimed to create opportunities for future development and hopefully bring investment into the region.  The UK Government was providing £40,000 to each bid that made the ‘long list’ of six applicants for the next stage of the competition. It was considered that more resources were likely to be required in addition to this award to develop an exciting and innovative plan of cultural activities for the year that would be a key feature in the longer application required for the next stage.  The Director explained that should the decision at the end of September be favourable, there would be a huge amount of work required to put in the long application and contributions would be anticipated from all partners to this application.  SOSE was co-ordinating the bid.

DECISION

AGREED to:

(a)      endorse the Expression of Interest for Borderlands to be UK City of Culture 2025 that was submitted to the UK Government by SOSE on behalf of the five local authority areas of Dumfries & Galloway, Scottish Borders, Carlisle City, Cumbria and Northumberland, which make uop the Borderlands Partnership; and

(b)       begin to consider what the CP Partners may contribute by way of time, resources and activities to the Borderlands City of Culture 2025 should the bid be successful.

8.2       Fire Alarms

With reference to paragraph 8.3 of the Minute of 19 November 2020, Mrs Hume raised the issue again of the forthcoming changes to fire alarm requirements for private properties which would come in to effect from February 2022.  Previously, it had been hoped that Borders College would be able to provide some assistance but that was not possible due to the work required on electric connections.  Mrs Hume advised that the cost of the changes could be an issue for some people, particularly the elderly, and asked whether the Partnership could do anything.  Mr Gourlay of the Fire & Rescue Service confirmed that this was the first time that Scottish legislation (under the Housing Act) had changed to a requirement since original work carried out in 2004.  While it was recognised that cost could be an issue, the safety benefits outweighed this.  Enforcement for the new standards lay with local authorities.  The Fire & Rescue Service could provide advice and support.  The RSLs were working towards the changes in their properties so it was home owners who would need to arrange for this work to be carried out.  Mrs Hume expressed concern about the older, more vulnerable members of the public living in rural areas and the difficulties of finding an electrician to do the necessary work.   While there were adverts on television giving details of what was needed this did not necessarily help people understand what they needed to do.  The Chairman advised that perhaps the partner organisations could reflect on this to see if they could offer any assistance.   

8.3       Mr Gourlay then advised of the proposed changes to the Fire & Rescue Service responses to unwanted fire alarm signals in non-residential properties.  He would arrange to share the link and get the report circulated round the partner members.

DECISION

NOTED.

8.4       20MPH SPEED LIMIT PILOT

            Mrs Hume asked whether a report would be coming to the Board on the outcome of the Speed Limit pilot as some people now seemed to be ignoring the limit in villages.  The Chairman advised that there would be a report on the outcome coming to SBC Elected Members and the results of the Napier University analysis would be made public, but it was a police matter if people were speeding.  Superintendent Forrester confirmed that she would ask Chief Inspector Fisher to link in with Mrs Hume on specific instances. 

            DECISION

            NOTED.